Tempest
by WickedLady1898
Summary: I had an incredible gift. But when you pair such gift into an unforgiving cruel world, chaos is the only thing that ensues. My name is Cerise Shyr, but I'm better known as the 'Tempest' around Edge now. People don't know who I am, and to be quite honest, neither do I. I do know one thing though, and that's that I am the only one who can stop Sephiroth. ((Currently on hiatus))
1. Chapter 1

_Months before I was born, while still in my mother's womb, my mother suffered a great accident. She fell from a three story building. At the time, I was only five months, and it was expected that I would not survive outside the womb. It was also almost certain I would not survive in my mothers womb while she was hurt. It had been a miracle in the first place, that I survived the fall. But the doctors very well couldn't operate on my mother while I was inside of her and so close to her wounds, and she would not survive long without the surgeries. She became distraught. _

_In fear that I would not survive, she left the hospital and did the only thing she knew to do-she went to the lifestream. She begged Minerva to save my life and then, she drank from the lifestream. She knew it was dangerous, but she did it anyway. And though she could not walk or crawl any further, she slept by the lifestream. When she was hungry she ate from a bush of berries, when she was thirsty she drank from the lifestream. She stayed by that place for two weeks, not moving an inch. However, while the lifestream was managing to give her the strength to survive, and healed any injuries I might have sustained from the accident, it was also weakening my mother greatly. Out there by the stream, my mother went into labor. Already half mad from all of the lifestream she had consumed, she begged the goddess Minerva once more for her help and then she fell into the lifestream. _

_Their, I was born. In the lifestream. Not only had the mako healed me and kept me alive, it'd also excelled my birth in the womb. I appeared the age of a newborn baby, having been carried all nine months. My mother died in the lifestream soon after giving birth to me. I didn't drown, or die from starvation or the cold. I floated on the lifestream, and it kept me alive and well until I was found by a woman named Ifalna. _

_This woman was an ancient, also known as the Cetra. The lifestream spoke to her and told her of my unnatural birth. It showed her visions. It warned her though, that many would attempt to use me because of the lifestream living inside of me. Ifalna, knowing what the Shinra scientists would do if they found out about me, kept me hidden. I still aged quickly, but it slowed down to a normal rate by the time I looked about three. It had been two years since my birth at that time._

_Ifalna became involved with a man, a scientist. Despite her love for the scientist, she did not trust her ability to keep me safe anymore, especially with him around. And so, reluctantly, she sent me away to an old friend in Wutai, where I safely kept hidden. When I was eight, she gave me a letter from Ifalna, explaining everything. _

_It's been a year since I read that letter. Every day in that year, I read it at least once. I'm just now getting around to writing about it because, well, it just hadn't quite sunk in until now. I'm still trying to put all of the pieces together. _

"Cerise!" I sighed and closed the journal and stood up from my desk. I turned and ran from my room and out into the kitchen.

"Yes, Elys?" Elys was the woman who'd taken care of me ever since I arrived in Wutai. She was a kind, but stern woman who hated Shinra and the government with all her heart. She was also a warrior, before the time of Shinra. She used to tell me stories of the time before Shinra had taken over. She said the world was a lot more peaceful, and that the planet never cried. She gave me a small smile before it dropped and she stalked towards me.

"We're out of berries and Godo has asked us for more materia. He thinks we be having a war very soon. You know what to do." She said and I nodded, grabbing the brown satchel from her waiting hands and hung it over my shoulder. I turned to leave. "Oh, and Cerise." I stopped, and looked back at her. "Get some of the lifestream as well. You're almost out." She said and I nodded and took off out the door. I ran through the village, dodging carts and cars alike.

"Hey, Ceri!" Dasyra, a close friend of mine called beside her fathers cart and I stopped.

"Hi Dasyra." I chirped back, skipping towards her.

"Heading out to gather more berries?" She asked with a smile and I nodded.

"We never seem to have enough anymore." I said with an exasperated sigh. She giggled.

"Well, Elys spends a lot of time making food for the troops, and berries are very nutritious, so she must use a lot of them." She added factually and I nodded my agreement.

"Gotta go, see ya later!" I called as I was already off and she waved goodbye. Several more people throughout the town greeted me as I passed by, but only few did I stop and chat with for a few minutes. I made it to the city gates and hurried out, the guards sending me with a thanks to Elys on the way out. The spring and berries bushes wasn't too far off from the city, just a few of miles off into the forest paths and so I hurried off, hoping to get their within the hour.

It was a long journey by foot, but I was quick and agile and I made it their fairly quickly. Opening the satchel, I grabbed the smaller bag for the berries and quickly started picking them off the bushes. Before long that bag was full and I got to the next one. I filled a total of three bags full of berries and stuffed them back into the satchel. The berry bushes were extremely close to the creek where the lifestream rose above the ground, so I hurried over that way. I first filled a bottle of lifestream, taking a sip of it and giving a sigh of relief.

Ever since I was little, I'd needed to drink from the lifestream to live. It was like how everyone else needed water to survive; I need lifestream. And it didn't harm me like it did others. I'd never understood why I'd needed it until that letter though…

I shook from my thoughts and readied myself, hovering my hands over the creek. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, focusing solely on my task. Nothing happened, at first. But slowly I heard the lifestream starting to take a crystalline form. When I opened my eyes, three materia rested beneath the surface of the lifestream. I smiled and grabbed them, stuffing them in my satchel as well.

One of my abnormalities I'd gained because of my unnatural birth, was the ability to speed up the creation process of materia and even level them up to full power. I've known for a long time I could do it, but again, none of it made sense till that letter. I sighed; that stupid letter never left my mind. It's not that I wasn't happy I knew the truth, it had just changed everything that I knew. And I wasn't sure how I felt about that yet.

I was able to make two more fully leveled materia before I started to become sick. I grabbed the two and put them in the bag with the others and then stood up. I felt a little dizzy and blinked rapidly. I opened the bottle of lifestream and took a swig. Already, I could feel my energy replenishing. I stuffed it back into the bag and took off on the path once more. I decided to take a more scenic route, tired of seeing the same old dirt path.

The scenic path was slower than the normal route, but I still had a full day ahead of me. I sang to myself as I walked, occasionally stopping to spin and dance around on the path. It took double the amount of time to get back as it did to get their, but it was worth it. As I approached the city gates, I slowed as I realized something was off. The gates were left wide open, and sounds of gunshots and fighting sounded. My eyes widened as I realized what was going on and I dropped my satchel.

"Elys," I whispered and took off through the gates. I searched all of the faces surrounding me for hers, but I saw her nowhere. I rushed through the streets, and though the fighting was everywhere, I managed to arrive safely. No one paid attention to the short, skinny nine year old girl and for once, that had been a positive. I pushed the door open. "Elys!" I yelled and then froze. Three men stood towering over Elys in the kitchen. Two wore helmets, the other however, did not. He had silver hair, flowing down his back, and a long thin sword in his left hand.

"Cerise," Elys said calmly but her eyes were wide and fearful. "Where are the berries I sent you to get?" She asked. I blinked at her and then gulped as three sets of eyes turned to me. I caught eyes with the silver haired boy, his blue-green eyes startling and shocking. They looked like the lifestream… I shook out of my thoughts and returned my attention to Elys.

"I-I dropped it. I'm sorry." I answered, feeling guilty now. That materia really could've been useful now. She nodded in silent understanding and returned her attention to the three men, specifically the silver haired boy.

"It's alright, dear. Why don't you go back and find it? Hmm?" She asked.

"No," The silver-haired boy interrupted, eyes darting to mine. "She stays," Looking closer at him, I noticed how young he was. He looked to be only a couple of years older than me, maybe just barely a teen. I looked to Elys, unsure of my next move. I gulped and moved towards Elys, standing by her side. She put a reassuring arm around my shoulders, hugging me tightly to her.

"I promise you, I've never stolen materia from anyone," My eyes widened involuntarily-she was in trouble because of me? Because I was creating materia for the army and they somehow found out?

"Our sources say you're the one that supplies the Wutai army with materia." One of the men wearing helmets spoke up. I glared at him hatefully, wishing I could see his face so I could burn it to memory. Then maybe I could get back at him one day for threatening Elys. All of them.

"Yes, I supply the army with materia but I've never stolen any." She said, voice pleasant enough. One of the men wearing helmets gripped my arm suddenly, pulling me towards him and placing his gun against my head. My heart froze at that moment, terror rushing through my veins. "Don't you dare!" Elys snarled, leaping forward. A long sword darted out quickly, stopping Elys from getting any closer.

"Your sources," The silver-haired boy said calmly. I wanted to speak, tell him to leave Elys alone, to let us go, but my voice had been caught in my throat. Elys' eyes darted to mine worriedly, and I opened and closed my mouth, but no sound came out. She returned her gaze to the silver-haired boy.

"Here and there, many different places, markets-" The tip of his sword touched her throat.

"Your sources," He repeated.

"Please," She begged, eyes watching me. She looked to me and mouthed three last words. Tears were crawling down my cheeks. I saw the boy move and I suddenly found my voice once more.

"Wait!" I shrieked but it was too late. Blood gushed from the large, open wound in her neck and she gurgled, and then fell to the floor. I dropped to the floor, crawling over towards her lifeless body and I screamed, clutching at her shoulders. "please don't leave." I cried, leaning over and placing my forehead against hers.

"What do you know?" The silver-haired boy spoke up, voice as calm as before. I climbed to my feet slowly and turned to face him. Maybe he hadn't seen it coming, or maybe he figured he deserved it, but he didn't stop me as I slapped him. His head whipped to the side.

"Don't speak too me." I whispered coldly, shaking but not from fear but rage. It boiled through my blood and it didn't matter anymore that he could kill me at any moment. "You're a murderer. Is that what you people stand for? Is that what you do?" I screamed, clenching my fists at my sides. "You call yourselves the good guys, the heroes, but you're really just beasts out for bloodshed! You hurt innocent people, all because some fat old man tells you too!" I shrieked, crying harder and harder but my voice was clear. The two men wearing helmets pointed guns at my head.

"No," The silver-haired boy spoke up, turning his head to look back at me. He held my gaze as he spoke. "She's grieving. Leave her be." He stated.

"We were told to take no prisoners." One of them said gruffly.

"We won't take her as prisoner. We have a battle to get back too." He said, turning his back on us.

"But-"

"That's an order, cadet." The silver-haired boy said, voice full of authority. Grudgingly, they lowered their weapons and followed after him. I collapsed back onto the ground, and cried. I didn't know how long I cried but I must've fallen asleep at some point, because I woke up on the cold, hard floor. It was dark out now, and completely quiet. Wiping my eyes and sitting up, I looked around. It looked to be in the same state from last time, minus the blood on the floor. I turned back around to Elys' body. Another sob threatened to break through from my throat.

"I'm sorry," I cried. "I should've spoken up sooner, i'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Elys." I whimpered, soothing her gray hair behind her ears. I closed her eyes and straightened up. Elys had always loved it when I sang to her. So, I would sing to her one last time.

**Wishing on a dream that seems far off**

**Hoping it will come today**

I almost started crying during the next lines, but managed to push through, my voice getting stronger as I continued to sing.

**When the horizon darkens most**

**We all need to believe there is hope**

**Is an angel watching closely over me?**

**Can there be a guiding light I've yet to see?**

I sniffled and took in a breath of air, having cried so much restricting my air, but managed to get back on track.

**What will fill this emptiness inside of me?**

**Am I to be satisfied without knowing?**

**I wish, then, for a chance to see**

**Now all I need, desperately…**

**Is my star to come**

I wiped my eyes one last time and stood up. I walked back into her bedroom and grabbed a blanket off of her bed and returned to her body, placing the blanket over her. I returned to my room and looked in my vanity mirror. I looked like a complete and utter wreck-as expected. My eyes were red and puffy, the pinkish color of my eyes all the more brighter from the tears. I ran my fingers through my light colored hair and pulled it over my shoulder in a quick braid.

I peeled my clothes off and changed into jeans and a simple blue blouse. I put on a pair of boots meant for hiking and a coat. I walked out of my room, only to pause. The boy from before was back. He stood over Elys' covered body and I stood stiffly behind him, wondering if I should just make a run for it. Without saying a word, he held up my forgotten satchel between his fingers.

"Where did you get that?" I asked, voice hoarse from crying.

"What were you doing with five fully powered materia and a bottle of lifestream?" He asked coolly, turning to face me.

"I don't have to tell you anything." I said, looking up at him stubbornly. His eyes bore into mine, and I admit, I was a little intimidated.

"You can either tell me or tell my employers back at Shinra headquarters," He said calmly. I glared at him hatefully, rage once again burning in my veins.

"Haven't you done enough today?" I spat out and he sighed.

"Tell me, and you will never have to see me again." He compromised.

"I can't." I responded and he narrowed his eyes.

"Why?" He asked, and though he kept a cool facade I could tell from his eyes, he was becoming impatient.

"Listen, I won't ever do it again, okay? But I can't tell you." I mumbled.

"Is it illegal?" He asked.

"Not necessarily." I responded.

"How so?"

"None of your business," I scoffed back.

"Tell me." He ordered.

"Are you always so childish." I shot back, scowling at him. He blinked in astonishment. Apparently, I had shocked him. Well, good. He deserved it. For a moment, something similar to amusement flashed in his eyes, but it was gone before I could blink.

"Why can you not tell me?" He asked softly, attempting a different approach.

"Because I'll become a science experiment!" I shouted before I could stop myself. I gasped at the realization of what I'd just admitted and looked away from him. I was expecting him to demand answers, to savagely hit me until I told him, or just drag me back to Shinra with him and just instantly hand me over to the scientists. Instead, we were completely silent.

"What's your name?" he asked, after several long minutes of silence. The question surprised me; I'd expected an interrogation. However, I answered anyway, because at least he wasn't threatening to hand me over to the scientists.

" Shyr. Yours?" I asked, despite myself.

"Sephiroth." He answered. We were drawn back into several more long moments of silence.

"I'm sorry, Cerise." Was the last thing he said to me. Then, he started for the door. I was so surprised, I spoke up.

"You're just going to leave?" I blurted out. He stopped, and looked at me over his shoulder. He nodded slowly. "You don't want to know the truth?" I asked hesitantly.

"No," He stated and continued his walk. I was frozen there for a minute, thinking of my next move.

"Wait!" I called, running after him. I grabbed hold of his arm, stopping him. "Take me with you," I said so quietly, I wasn't sure he'd heard me.

"Why?" He responded, after several minutes of silence. I thought about it for a moment, putting my thoughts together.

"Because I don't have anyone. My home is broken and destroyed, and without Elys-" I cut off, my words catching in my throat. I took a deep, steadying breath. "Without Elys, I have no one to protect me from those who want to use me. Wutai is not my home, nowhere is. I have nowhere to go. You made sure of that. So now you're stuck with me." I affirmed.

"Shinra will kill you," He stated evenly.

"Train me to fight. Say that I was a hostage in Wutai, stolen from my home in Junon. Say that I hate Wutai, and that I have many secrets I would like to share with Shinra in return for being trained to fight and join SOLDIER."

"He will never allow it," He insisted.

"Persuade him. Shinra is no fool-he knows a happy captive is much more willing than an unhappy one." I replied easily.

"And the cadets?" He murmured, referring to the other men who had seen my break down at the death of Elys.

"What rank are you?" I asked evenly.

"SOLDIER, first class." He responded, knowing exactly where I was going with this.

"Exactly. Their words mean nothing compared to yours. If they're smart, they won't say a thing."

"Why?" He asked once more, knowing I had defeated his argument.

"Because you owe me this much." I replied and he sighed.

"Very well. But I'd like to know just who I am allowing into Shinra. Your abilities." He said. I bit my lip. I didn't want to show him, but, I had this feeling in my gut that he wouldn't tell. Despite all he'd done, I felt safe with him. I grabbed the satchel from his shoulder and pulled out the bottle of lifestream. Without a word, I dumped it onto the ground. I kneeled down next to it and focused my energy on the task at hand. When I re-opened my eyes minutes later, a small green materia had formed. I picked it up and stood, handing it to Sephiroth. He inspected it closely, a sense of wonder deep within his otherwise uninterested gaze.

"How?" He murmured.

"Maybe I'll tell you one day." I responded and nodded towards the city gates. "Lead the way."

The entire trip, I didn't move from Sephiroth's side. I didn't trust any of the infantrymen or anyone else for that matter. When we arrived at headquarters, a man in a suit stood waiting. Sephiroth tensed beside me ever so slightly, and I figured this man was not here as a friendly greeting. The man was obviously wutain, with jet black hair and black eyes. He regarded me carefully.

"General, I'm to take the girl directly to the president while you debrief with Lazard." He informed. I looked up at Sephiroth unsurely. He nodded at me and I moved towards the man hesitantly, ready to run if it came too it. I walked silently beside the man through the hallways, unsure of what to say.

"You're not in SOLDIER?" I asked hesitantly. He eyed me.

"No, my name is Tseng. I'm one of the Turks." He informed me.

"What does Shinra want with me?" I asked.

"To meet you," He said vaguely. Before I could ask anymore questions, we arrived at a large set of doors. He knocked lightly and then opened the doors.

"This is her?" A fat, balding man asked from behind a large desk. Tseng nodded. "You may leave." He ordered and he left me alone with President Shinra and his couple of guards. "What's your name?" He asked.

"Cerise. Cerise Shyr." I answered.

"You were a hostage in Wutai?" he asked and I nodded. "And you know many secrets of the Wutain people?" He continued and I nodded once more. "Will you share them with me?" He asked.

"Yes," I whispered, hating my voice for sounding so small. I was literally shaking in my boots, scared at any moment he'd have me killed. "But, I have a request." I managed to get out. He raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Go on," He said, sounding bored.

"In return for information, I want to stay here and be trained for SOLDIER." I said and he studied me for a moment.

"Why? Wouldn't you like to return to your family in Junon?" He asked lightly.

"My family died all those years ago when I was taken captive. I have nowhere to go, no family to take me in. I-" I cut off to stop myself from crying. Though I was lying, it didn't change the fact that it was true. The only person I'd really had was Elys, and she was gone. My city was destroyed, and it wasn't even my city. I could try to find Ifalna, but I suspected she would still find it to be too dangerous to take me in and I didn't want to be a burden to her. I would have to stay here, in the arms of my enemy and they wouldn't even know the truth.

"How old are you, Cerise?" He asked suddenly. I sniffled and looked back at him.

"Nine," I answered smally. He smiled, and I didn't like it.

"I have a son around your age. I'm sure he'd love to have someone his age around here. Perhaps you two will become friends," He said lightly and my face lit up.

"You'll let me stay?" I asked hopefully and he nodded.

"However, I do not allow girls to join SOLDIER. You will be given everything you need here, room, food, clothes, in return for information. As well as another task," He said and I blinked.

"What is it?" I asked.

"The face against the war of Wutai?" Sephiroth murmured as we sat in the commons room at SOLDIER headquarters.I nodded, laying my head on my knees.

"I was prepared to give all information that I have, but I didn't know they'd have to see me do it." I cried miserably.

"That's the price you have to pay," He responded evenly and I sighed and crawled towards him on the couch, leaning against him. I was tired from the long journey and all of the crying. I felt it running through my veins, slowing me down.

"You have to protect me," I whispered, already nodding off.

"I will," Was the last thing I heard before falling asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

I was swift as I moved expertly around the slums street corners. My boots barely made a noise as they hit the concrete and I was thankful that all those years of stealth training had finally come in handy. Finally I came to my destination and I looked down both ways before heading inside the bar, the door chiming as I walked in.

Tifa hummed a cheerful tune, but stopped when she heard me enter. Her gaze was at first wary, but once she recognized me, she smiled. I locked the door behind me and pulled off my pure white mask.

"How'd it go?" She asked softly and I held up my brown leather pouch as I approached, and set it down on the counter, a bag full of different colored materia falling out. She grinned brightly and we high-fived.

"I don't get how you do it," She said in amazement with a shake of her head. I shrugged.

"It's just something I've been able to do since I was little," I lied. The others knew of my strange gifts, but I didn't really share how I'd gotten these talents. No one knew, not even him. She pulled the bag beneath the counter, hiding it securely behind several glasses of liquor.

"You should probably go change. If anyone so much as spots a blonde with all-white clothing they think it's you and we all know the price on your head." She murmured and I nodded my agreement. Over the past few years Tifa and I had become like sisters. I guess fighting for the same cause together did that to people. Sadly, Tifa was one of the only members of our group capable of living in society instead of hiding out somewhere far off. The only others were Yuffie, Marlene, and Denzel. We all quaintly lived at this bar. The reasoning for Tifa being able to live out in the open despite having come face to face with...him, was vague. I think it had something to do with the fact that he was kind of out of his mind at that moment and doesn't really remember her.

I also think he just doesn't view her as a threat. Or perhaps he's not as aware as he thinks and doesn't even know she's here. That's all a huge possibility, considering I've been living out in the city myself, and he's never once come face to face with me.

That's not to say his stupid remnants haven't. We'd all thought that when he returned, his remnants would die off. That wasn't the case at all, and once his body was fully recovered, even Kadaj had returned. Now he'd taken control over practically all of Gaia, save for a few small villages that weren't even worth conquering.

No one knew what his end game was. In the beginning, all he'd wanted was to destroy Gaia for his 'mother'. He'd never done so out in the open, or even bothered to take control of the planet.

I headed upstairs and into the room Tifa and I shared. I ruffled my hair tiredly and pulled the pure white dress over my head and tossed it onto my bed. I opened the wardrobe and pulled on a black t-shirt. I also pulled out a pair of black leggings and took off my pure white shorts and pulled the leggings on. I pulled my hair back into a low, messy bun and headed back downstairs to help Tifa clean up the bar.

She smiled thankfully at my help and the two of us conversed lightly as we cleaned. Finally, the entire bar was clean and we both sat back and poured ourselves a small drink. It had been a long night of cleaning and working.

"Have you heard any news about Cloud?"I asked quietly, no more than a whisper. Cloud was not a subject we brought up often. After he'd lost to him at his return, he'd been severely wounded. We'd managed to recover him from their clutches before he could be killed, but we feared he'd never recover. And so far, he hasn't. Over a year and he still wasn't walking yet. She shook her head.

"When I talked to Vincent yesterday he said it was more in his head than anything. He's barely eating or sleeping, he says. Barrett's about had it with his depression too." She said quietly. Tifa put up a brave front, but I knew that she was struggling with this. She wanted to be beside Cloud, helping him recover, but we needed her out here. I only hoped that I could find some way to fix all of this. She deserved some peace of mind.

"Oh, have you had any lifestream yet?" She asked and I bit my lip. She sighed, standing up from her seat and heading to the fridge, opening it up and pulling out a bottle full of the powerful liquid. She closed the fridge and returned to our table, handing it over to me and giving me a stern look. "Drink, you know it's not healthy for you to go too long without it." She reminded me. I rubbed my temples and nodded my agreement. I opened the bottle and took a long swig, instantly finding more of my strength returning.

"Thanks, Tiff." I said gratefully and she nodded. She stretched her arms above her head and smiled cheerfully at me.

"I think tomorrow we should go to the church. Its been a while and I'm sure Aerith would appreciate some company," There was a hidden sadness in her voice but I said nothing; some wounds never closed. I knew that very well. I rubbed my eyes tiredly and stood up, taking the bottle of lifestream with me.

"I'm going to head to bed, long day tomorrow. Get some rest too." I told him sternly. She nodded, mumbling something about putting the drinks away. I hurried up the stairs and back into my room. I put away my clothes I had carelessly thrown around before and turned the lights off, slipping into bed and closing my eyes. I was out in seconds.

"Look at all the flowers! They're still blooming!" Marlene chirped happily, rushing into the church. Tifa and I smiled at each other, watching as she pulled Denzel along with her. We'd managed to get rid of the stigma and the brain-washing, but it had left a mark on the boy unfortunately.

I adorned a baby blue sundress and some brown sandals today, promising Tifa I'd go and get some shopping done today. We were running low on both supplies for the bar and the rest of us. Yuffie would be returning tomorrow as well, and the girl had a big appetite. Still, I'd hang with them for a little while, knowing the kids got a little lonely with Tifa watching the bar all of the time and my always running errands.

"Angel! Can you make the flowers grow too?" Marlene called cheerfully. Denzel shushed her, reminding her that my special 'gifts' were a secret, but I shook my head, approaching them.

"No, not really. I'm not a Cetra. Watch this though," I said mischievously, pulling a materia out of my satchel. I held it in my hand and concentrated on it. Before our eyes, the Materia melted down into its natural form. Not only was that enough to amaze them, but they both watched with amazement as the lifestream crawled up my arm and sank into my skin, glowing blue as it traveled through my veins.

"How do you do that?" Marlene asked in wonderment. Like last night with Tifa, I shrugged.

"It's something I've had since I was born. Like you and Denzel and Tifa need water, I need lifestream. Without it, I'd die. It's also how I can perform magic without materia." I said, fire flaring up in the palm of my hand. It was extinguished only seconds later but when I looked at the two of them they were awe-struck.

"Isn't it because of that you met Sephiroth?" Denzel asked. I froze, and Marlene hit his arm, shushing him.

"We don't talk about it." She whispered fiercely to him.

"S-sorry, Angel, I didn't mean too…" He trailed off, blushing at Marlene's reprimand. I recovered from my shock and shook my head, smiling lightly at him.

"No, it's alright. I met him because of my unique gifts, yes." I answered. "But let's not talk about him. He doesn't deserve anymore of our attention. Why don't you guys gather some flowers? Yuffie will be here tomorrow and she can bring a bouquet back to the others." I said warmly. They nodded eagerly and began to gather some flowers. I returned by Tifa and she smiled sympathetically.

"They're just curious. To be honest, we all are. You haven't really told us very much about your past with him," She murmured, watching over the two as we talked.

"Some things are too painful to talk about. Please understand," I said quietly. She was silent, but then she nodded.

"Just know that you can trust me, if you ever do want to talk about it." She promised. I nodded, sending her a thankful smile.

"I know, and thank you, Tifa. I'm happy that you guys decided to trust me. Most people tend to judge the second they hear about my...special relationship with him. Anyway, I still need to get to the market. Are you guys okay here?" I asked and she nodded. I opened my satchel and handed her a small, pink crystalline stone. "Remember how to use this?" I asked and she nodded.

"It'll sense my danger and send it to you. A nifty little trick." She said with a laugh. I laughed along.

"I'm going to make you all necklaces with them once I can gather more stones, so that I'll always be able to help when in times of need." I promised. Then, we said our goodbyes and I headed out. The market wasn't too far from here and it was an easy walk. I swung my satchel back and forth, humming lightly as I walked. I didn't really sing too often anymore, but it would always be something that I loved.

I arrived quickly at the market and got to work, quickly picking out and buying all of the foods needed for the next couple weeks. It was a busy day, being that we didn't get market days all that often anymore. Sure, you could go buy food, but never the fresh stuff. I turned a corner, just about to head to a fruit stand, when I ran straight into something hard. Which actually turned out to be a someone.

"Oh, I'm so sorry-" I cut off as I looked up. He had silver hair cropped to his shoulders and cold, cruel eyes. I immediately took a step back in fear. This was not happening. I'd never run into him or his brothers when I wasn't tempest before. Would they recognize me? True, they had none of his memories, but still, what if…

"You should watch where you're going, girl." He hissed in agitation, but luckily no recognition shone in his eyes.

"I'm very sorry, sir." I said, lowering my head as any meek young girl would do.

"Brother, be kind to the young woman." That one was Yazoo, I knew it. Loz did not speak with such a calm, collected tone of voice. Yazoo was the one I feared recognizing me the most. Loz was too child-like and well, Kadaj...I don't think the cruel side of him cared too much about me.I looked around, noticing we now had the attention of the market's entire population. People backed away, leaving only myself and the remnants. Everyone watched, seeming to hold their breath to see what would happen next. I looked up-bad idea. I met Yazoo's eyes, and I saw that spark-the spark that told me that even if he didn't understand it, he recognized me.

"Cerise," He murmured and my eyes widened at the sound of my name-my real name. A name I had not used in a very, very long time. It sounded so foreign, hearing it again, let alone from the voice that sounded so familiar to his.

"I-I'm very sorry to have gotten in your way," I stuttered and backed up, moving to leave.

"Stop," Kadaj commanded and my body reacted on its own, fear taking over as I froze. He watched me with narrowed eyes. "What's your name?" He asked, something truly vicious in the way he spoke.

"A-Angel." I stumbled, mentally cursing myself for it.

"Angel what?" He asked.

"Just...Angel. I'm an orphan." I mumbled quietly. Please Minerva, make them leave me alone. I just want to finish up my shopping. Can't I deal with them when I'm Tempest and not plain old Angel?

"How old are you, Angel?" Yazoo asked, voice deep in thought. I gulped.

"I'm Twenty-four," Technically. Because of the amount of Lifestream building in my body over my lifespan, I no longer aged. I was stuck at about twenty-one or twenty-two.

"What is it brother?" Loz asked Yazoo, eyeing the two of us with curiosity.

"I know her," He murmured. "We should take her to big brother." He said simply, looking to Kadaj. My eyes widened and I backed up even further, shaking my head vigorously. I was afraid, but not for the reason others may think. Everyone feared him because of his actions, and I guess a part of me did too, but my fears went so much deeper than that.

I could not face the only family I had, the only person I'd ever loved, knowing that some monster had taken hold of him. I could not look at him, because I knew if i did I would burst into tears or start laughing hysterically or something like that. The world was too cruel to allow me to simply stare blankly like I had secretly wished for if we were ever to come face to face again.

"No," I whispered, knowing I could not face him. I would not face him. "I won't!" I screamed, turning on my heel and running. It took about two seconds for the initial shock of my blatant defiance to wear off on them and for them to start chasing me. I navigated through the crowds expertly, but I dared not pause to look back; I was fast, but they were the remnants of the greatest soldier in the world-and there was no doubt in my mind that they could out-run me. Luckily they weren't used to large crowds of people getting in their way, and that was something I was quite used too.

Through some miracle I managed to escape through the crowds, successfully losing the remnants. Still, I ran, not willing to leave anything to chance. It was nightfall before I stopped, leaning up against a rock wall, breathing heavily. I slid down the wall until I sat on the pavement, leaning my head back as I tried to catch my breath. My chest burned from lack of oxygen and I started retching.

Finally my breathing calmed and I closed my eyes, glad to have at least that peace.

"You can't run forever," I turned my head away from the red-head, glaring at the ground.

"I can try," I responded flatly. She sighed. A pink dress approached and she kneeled down in front of me.

"You must face your destiny, Cerise. We all must. I did, and now it's your turn." The kind brunette smiled down at me, green eyes comforting. Tears built in my eyes and I shook my head, scooting away from her.

"I can't! I would rather die before I kill him," I whispered fiercely. There was another sigh. My chin was forcibly grabbed, and I stared back at my own expression, pink eyes fierce.

"You will destroy him or I will do it myself." She warned, eyes harsh. I glared back at her, pulling away from her hold.

"I'm in control, not you. Make your threats, Minerva. It won't change anything," I snapped. She pursed her lips in annoyance,standing. Layers of beautiful silk flowed around her as she stood, and she put a hand on her hip, scowling down at me.

"I gave you life, when all that awaited you was death. You are my champion, and your destiny is to kill him. Do it, or I will take back what I gave all those years ago." Then, she was gone. I let out a scream of anger, pounding my fist against the ground.

***sighs of relief* Okay, sorry that took me longer than I thought to publish. I was going to post Saturday (as I said I would) but I had to work and then I took a nap and I just spaced it. But hey, better late than never, right? **

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, it was a lot of fun for me to write. Um first off, this story is told in I suppose two different timelines. One is the present-which is this chapter. The second which is the first chapter is her past. Now the present chapters are pretty straight-laced, no flashbacks or skips, it's all told in order. However, the past is sporadic. I'll reveal certain events in her past not in order but on importance. So sometimes you'll see Cerise as a child other times as a teenager or an adult. You might be confused sometimes but I'll try to avoid that. **

**Anyway, this chapter has not been edited. I was going too but then I was already late posting it so I just decided to give you the rough draft. I'll try to keep posting on Saturdays but I work a lot on Saturdays so I may change it to Sundays. If I do I'll make sure to let you know. **

**Please let me know what you thought of this chapter. Constructive criticism is welcome, bitching is not. Next chapter will be a past chapter and the one after that a present chapter but I don't know if that pattern will stay forever. Sometimes you may get two or three more present chapters and then a past chapter. CIAO!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I tossed and turned in bed, waiting for my alarm to wake me quickly. It was the same every night. I could never sleep until after practice. Deciding my alarm was taking too damn long to ring, I get up. I didn't bother making the bed, knowing in a few hours I'd be returning to it. I walked into my apartments kitchen, opening the fridge and grabbing a soda. It was always bad to drink soda before practice, but I was far passed caring. **

**I hummed to myself after I finished the soda, dancing across the floor towards my closet. I quickly pulled on a black tank top and denim shorts. I walked into the bathroom, flipping the light on and ruffling my light, almost white hair. From what I'd gathered, my hair was so light because of my time in the lifestream. There were still things I learned everyday about myself because of my unnatural birth situation. Still, no one questioned. I think it was because of President Shinra or Rufus-neither of them liked people asking questions about me. **

**I ran a brush through my thick strands of hair and then pulled them back in a high ponytail. I put some moisturizer on my face, just in case we decided to practice outside tonight. I finished up in the bathroom and pulled on my boots and placed my sword around my waist. My alarm rang just as I finished-meaning I still had thirty minutes before I met up with the others. Sighing, I turned to my journal to write; **

**_Sweet fourteen tomorrow. I guess I should be more excited, but I've learned birthdays really aren't as special as everyone makes them out to be. Or maybe it's the fact that when you're on good terms with the Shinra's, and the literal face of war, people tend to go out of their way for you. _**

**_I hated it. Every year, people always told me how brave I was for speaking out against the cruelty of the Wutain. They gave me luxurious gifts, and every year President Shinra threw me a huge party. It made me feel disgusted with myself, having betrayed the people who I'd once associated with. True, they weren't my real family, and it was only ever Elys who took care of me, but it was still a home to me, for a while. _**

**_I wonder is Dasyra ever survived the first attack. Maybe she did, but died in later battles. Maybe she's still alive today to hate me. I really hope she does; I deserve it. It' would be completely warranted, her hatred against me. I wouldn't blame her for it._**

**_Occasionally I try to stand up for Wutai, say they weren't that bad, that not all of them treated me badly. It was a lie in the first place, they all treated me reasonably well, but it was all I could do to make up for my lies. If you asked me if I felt bad for coming to Shinra and staying here, I would say I wasn't. At the time, I knew it was my only hope. I relied on Elys, she was the only person I could trust. Even Godo, would have used me if he'd found out about my abilities._**

**_That day, when Sephiroth hadn't pushed the subject about my powers, I'd felt I could completely trust in him. So far, it had been true. He never told a soul, and he even helped me hide it when situations occurred. Still though, he was always distant. He was like that with everyone, but I would have thought after almost four years of companionship, he'd open up a bit. Even to Genesis and Angeal, who he's known for a less amount of time, he talks to more. _**

**_I may still have conflicting feelings, with him killing Elys and attacking my home, but still, he was the only person I had. Only one I could truly talk too. I wish he would talk to me more. _**

**I closed my journal and placed it back in my desk. It was time. I walked out of my apartment door, checking both hallways and then hurrying down to the training room. I pushed the door opened, seeing the others were already there. "You're late, Cerise." Genesis tisked, making me roll my eyes. **

** "****I bet I was up long before you were." I scoffed and Angeal raised an eyebrow. **

** "****Did you even sleep?" He teased and I pouted, making the three of them laugh. I stuck my tongue out at them and danced across the arena towards them. **

** "****You know I suffer from insomnia." I retorted. **

** "****Well, you should be getting some sleep. You have your party tomorrow," Genesis pointed out. I made a face. "Oh, don't be like that. A lot of work goes into your birthday parties." he continued.**

** "****I'm the face of war," I said flatly. "I make everyone hate Wutai." I said, the disgust in my voice evident. **

** "****But after what they did to you…" Angeal trailed off and I looked away. Genesis and Angeal knew nothing of the truth. It made Genesis hate the Wutain and Angeal constantly tread lightly over the subject. Sephiroth was the only one who knew the truth, and I'm sure he could see the guilt and shame that crossed my face every time we talked about Wutai.**

** "****Let's practice," He spoke up for the first time since I joined them. I nodded, drawing my sword. Angeal jumped forward, simple plain sword in hand. Our swords clashed and I had to jump back from the pure strength of the hit. "Don't hurt her, Angeal," Sephiroth warned. **

** "****I'm fine!" I insisted, hating to be babied. I hit the ground, rolling to take the brute of the hit and turned, slashing my sword out at Angeal. It was long since decided I was not allowed to spar with Genesis after the time he accidentally slashed open an artery in my leg, and Sephiroth may have been my teacher, but he refused to spar with me. Angeal was strong, that I knew. However, I was quicker-I always have been. The only one who managed to match my speed was Sephiroth, and it was completely unfair because he was also a lot stronger than me. I knew if I were to ever spar with Sephiroth, I'd be lucky to come out with my life. Whether he was holding back or not. **

**I couldn't beat Angeal either, but at least I could give him a good run for his money. Angeal and I continued our deadly dance, him holding back his strength, and me giving it all I had. "Cerise!" I froze at the sound of Rufus' voice. Angeal stopped his attack as I dropped my sword and turned to the door. Rufus was a year older than me, and though he was an arrogant prick, he'd gained respect for me after I'd punched him for calling me a crybaby spoiled brat. At nine, it had been a bigger insult than it was now. I smiled sheepishly at him, giving a small wave. **

** "****You know how my father feels about your learning to fight." He reminded me coldly. **

** "****Well, what he doesn't know won't hurt him," I responded slyly. **

** "****Cerise," He said sternly and I sighed. **

** "****Alright, fine. No fighting." For now. I moved to pick up my sword. **

** "****No," He interrupted. "General, dispose of it." He ordered and my eyes widened and I turned to Rufus. **

** "****No!" I objected, and he narrowed his eyes on me. "It's mine! And it's my birthday!" I exasperated. He nodded to Sephiroth. **

** "****Get rid of it," He ordered, then he looked to me. "Go back home and get some have a big day starting in the morning." He ordered. I glared at him angrily and then looked back at the others. They didn't speak up. I let out a small shriek of annoyance and then stormed right past Rufus. I swear, I could kill all of them!**

**All three of them were older than Rufus, but they acted like intimidated children, following his every command. So what if he was the son of the president? I stood up to him all the time and I never got in trouble. I slid my key card into my apartment lock and stepped inside, slamming the door shut behind me. **

** "****Getting angry doesn't help," A voice spoke up, making me jump. **

** "****Cissnei, you scared me." I said, catching my breath. She smiled lightly at me. **

** "****President Shinra and Rufus both do a lot for you. You should show a little more thanks," She berated me but I rolled my eyes. **

** "****Shinra only does so because I'm the face of war. I get him the support from everyone else against Wutai. Rufus only likes me because I actually stand up to him, which for some reason gains his respect." I huffed in annoyance. **

** "****There are other reasons," She said vaguely. I raised a questioning eyebrow. **

** "****Like what?" I asked and she sighed. **

** "****You have a broadcast tomorrow morning at nine. I'll wake you up at Seven-thirty to get ready. Your party starts at Five P.M. but you'll spend two hours getting ready and you'll have a commercial to shoot featuring the SOLDIER's and Infantrymen at noon." I nodded and she walked towards me and smiled smally. "Please behave tomorrow." She murmured, ruffling my hair and then heading out. I sighed, rubbing my tired eyes and then locked my door behind me. I hurried into my bedroom, changed into pajamas, and hopped into bed. **

** "****We have here with us today, the brave and beautiful Cerise Shyr, former Wutain hostage, and face of hope for all." The news anchor announced and the crowd cheered as I walked out. I was dressed in a babydoll pink dress that hugged my top and flowed out at the waist in several shear layers. I wore short, two inch pumps the same color of my dress and an opal pendant, a gift from President Shinra on my last birthday. I wore light and pretty makeup and my hair was curled and pulled up in a loose side bun. I was always dolled up for broadcasts like this. It helped to ensure others believed I was saved from Wutai. The first time I was broadcast, Shinra had a makeup team put bruises and scrapes and injuries all over me. I sat down next to the news anchor. I've been on her show before and though she was all smiles and kindness in front of the camera, she was a total bitch backstage.**

** "****Well, you look beautiful, as always Cerise. I hear today is your birthday." She said with a sickeningly sweet smile. I nodded, smiling back fakely. **

** "****Thank you. Yes, it is my birthday today. Sweet fourteen," I said with a small laugh. She laughed a little as well. **

** "****To think already it's been four years since Shinra saved you from being Wutain hostage. How much has changed from your life since then?" She asked, and I prepared myself to life through my teeth fully. **

** "****I can't think President Shinra enough for his generosity. He gave me a home, safety, a family. I never thought I would've made it out of Wutai alive, until Shinra's brave soldiers stepped in." I said, getting a little teary eyed for affect. The crowd always ate it up.**

** "****Now, it was Sephiroth personally who saved you from your prison in the Wutai capitol, right?" She asked and I nodded. "Do you still talk with Sephiroth now? Surely, something like that would create a bond between two people," She said and I was silent for a few quick moments; how would I handle this one? I had to tread lightly. If I spoke too highly of our relationship, people might believe we were romantic and that could cause a scandal. If I spoke too lowly, he would be seen as callous and cold, which would be a bad image for our war hero. Even if in public he appeared emotionless, people who knew him on a more personal level had to make him seem more warm and open. **

** "****Sephiroth and I are still good friends. He's very busy, working hard in his position as General, but he never fails to converse when we see each other. I honestly can never thank him enough for getting me out of their. He truly is a hero. He saved my life." I answered and she nodded. **

**The interview continued on smoothly without anymore than small talk and carefully asked questions. It wouldn't be the first time this woman had been scolded for asking difficult questions, and so she was careful in her questionings now. Finally, we had one last question, a question from the audience. It was an idea of Shinra's, to make people believe it wasn't rehearsed. It was a man with dark skin, and he seemed to be missing an arm. He approached the mic, holding back a glare in my direction. **

** "****Ever since Shinra found you four years ago, not another hostage in Wutai has been saved. Why?" He asked. Everything went silent in the room. This man was questioning my honesty. Unfortunately for him, he would have to be a bit craftier than that; I was trained to deal with questions like these. **

** "****Well I don't know for sure, I've never been on the field. I haven't even returned to Wutai after I was rescued. However it's very possible, from knowing the Wutain people, that after I was rescued, they either killed off their other hostages to avoid any other snitches or re-located them somewhere else. That day, after the soldiers broke through the gates, I remember some of our guards walking down with guns in their hands. I was terrified, and then they started dragging the others from their cells, and all I could hear were screams and then gunshots. I was in the last cell, so they didn't get too me till last. They grabbed me, took me out of my cell and outside. It was the first time I'd seen sunlight in years. They put a gun to my head and-" I cut off, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. Crocodile tears fell down my cheeks and when I re-opened my eyes several audience members were tearing up as well. **

** "****Sephiroth and a couple cadets arrived. They killed the men about to kill me and saved me. Many people question the war, it's reasons, even Shinra. Anyone who does though, is wrong. SOLDIER, Shinra, they saved me from a life of captivity and early death. Shinra only ever has the peoples best interests at heart. If you knew him like I do, like a father, you would be sure of this." **

**I got a standing ovation. I walked off that stage feeling absolutely despicable. The disgust I felt for myself only continued to grow with every lie I told about Wutai. I prayed to Minera as I walked back into my dressing, asking for forgiveness for the terrible sins I committed against the Wutain people every day. **

** "****Let's go get you ready for the commercial," Cissnei said quietly. I nodded. I've always suspected that Cissnei knew the truth about all of my lies. There was just something in her eyes that told me she didn't believe a word I was saying. The commercial went smoothly and soon it was time to get ready for my party. The curls in my hair were quickly re-done and fixed into an elegant half up-do. My makeup was done slightly darker than for the broadcast and commercial. **

**I ran my hands over the dress I would wear for my party. It was floor length and dazzling silver and turquoise. I had silver strappy heels to match it and diamond earrings. "Ready to put it on?" Cissnei asked from the corner of the room. I nodded. She helped me into the dress and shoes, and I finished putting in the earrings. "Let's go, birthday girl." She said, but I didn't move from the mirror. **

** "****Cissnei?" I murmured, and she looked at me through the mirror. "Are sins...ever forgiven?" I asked. **

** "****I don't know," She answered simply. "I've never tried." I sighed at myself in the mirror and then turned to face her. **

** "****Alright. Let's go." She nodded and we left. I arrived at the party, a giant ballroom crowded with people. Left and right people greeted me, telling me happy birthday. Cissnei lead me to the reserved table in a different section of the room. Several people I knew sat there including; President Shinra, Rufus, Scarlet, Veld, Genesis, and Angeal. Tseng and Sephiroth stood nearby, ever the watchful eyes, and Cissnei joined them. I took my seat between Shinra and Rufus, smiling faintly at the others. **

** "****Happy birthday, Cerise." The group of them said one by one. **

** "****So, fourteen huh?" Scarlet said. I tried not to make a face; though the woman has never been anything but pleasant to me, their was always something about her I just didn't like. Of course, most people were with me. No one ever showed their true colors around me; too afraid of Shinra's wrath. "Any guys pining for you yet?" I grit my teeth and smiled back. **

** "****No, not yet. I still have a couple of years before I need to start worrying about all of that." I responded with a small laugh. **

** "****Oh, but you're such a pretty girl. Though I guess you're right, in a couple of years you'll truly have blossomed into such a beauty." She complimented. Fake, fake, fake! Why did everyone have to be so fake? **

** "****Don't embarrass the girl on her birthday, Scarlet." Shinra berated teasingly, then turned to look at me. "Though she is right. Your beauty now must only be a glimpse of the stunning woman you'll be in the future. Don't you agree, Rufus?" Shinra hinted at. All eyes turned to Rufus. **

** "****No doubt," He answered, watching me carefully. **

** "****Well, I just hope we get to hear your beautiful voice tonight," Scarlet gushed and my eyes widened; what? My eyes snapped to Genesis and Angeal, knowing exactly who had let my hidden talent slip. The two of them smiled sheepishly. **

** "****I wasn't aware you knew of my little hobby," I said lightly, while secretly seething. There was a reason I didn't like people knowing about my singing; I had stage fright!**

** "****Well, it came up in discussion earlier. Genesis and Angeal seem to think very highly of your singing voice. I do hope you'll sing something for us tonight," She said lightly. **

** "****Well, I-" **

** "****Of course she can!" Shinra announced, grinning. "Even I hadn't know little Cerise was a song bird until tonight. She'll have to share this talent with us, if not the entire party." He said. I bit my lip and nodded, hiding my fear with another false smile. Normal, petty smalltalk continued and one by one we were visited by powerful friends of Shinra, each offering me birthday wishes and making small talk before disappearing back into the party. Food arrived and we dined, and then the adults disappeared to a back room to have some wine, leaving me with Rufus, Angeal, Genesis, Cissnei, Tseng, and Sephiroth. The second they were gone, I threw a dinner fork at Angeal and Genesis. **

**The two of them ducked, Angeal laughing nervously and Genesis smirking. "You know how I feel about singing in front of people, you idiots!" I whispered harshly, hoping no one from the party had seen my rather violent display. **

** "****Oh, come on Cerise, it's not that big of a deal." Genesis said nonchalantly and I glared heatedly at him. **

** "****I will break your kneecaps." I growled. **

** "****Cerise," Rufus warned. "Behave, there are guests." He reminded me testily. **

** "****It's my party-"**

** "****And she can rage if she wants too," Angeal and Genesis chorused, mocking me. I picked up another fork, ready to throw it at them. **

** "****Cerise," Sephiroth spoke up for the first time that night, making me freeze. "Cake is being served." I perked up instantly at that. **

** "****Well as birthday girl, I must go get some cake. Cissnei," I said and she nodded, moving towards me. Cissnei was pretty much my bodyguard, informant, and sort of babysitter. She was two years older than me though, so it wasn't like there was a giant age gap. She was also the only girl I had to talk too. Can you imagine the humiliation if I'd had to run to Shinra when I'd started my cycle? It would have been absolutely mortifying. **

** "****You're not enjoying yourself," She observed. Cissnei was also the only girl friend I had. True, she was also the only girl around me, besides the few occasions I interacted with Scarlet, but I considered us friends well enough. However the two of us had long since had an agreement; she's loyal to Shinra. But she won't go out of her way to give away any of my secrets. I didn't tell her and she didn't ask. It was our silent agreement. **

** "****Not any different from last year," I answered simply. **

** "****There are more gifts this year," She observed. **

** "****More people I don't know." I shot back. **

** "****You should be thankful for what you have," She murmured to me. I stopped walking and turned towards her. **

** "****I have nothing," I whispered harshly. "This, is an illusion. None of this is real. You know that as well as I do." I responded. Her eyes gave her silent agreement and we continued on through the crowd. We finally arrived at the cake and I grabbed a plate for myself and for Cissnei, handing it to her. **

** "****I've never heard you sing before." She stated calmly and we walked back to the table. I shrugged, eating a bite of the chocolate, strawberry cake. **

** "****I've only ever sung in front of Sephiroth, Genesis, and Angeal and that's only because Genesis threatened to tell Shinra about my late night training sessions if I didn't. It was supposed to be kept a secret until those idiots blabbed." I said, voice tinged with my annoyance. **

** "****Well, Genesis talks highly of your singing voice, Scarlet didn't lie about that. He said quote 'Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess'," She said and I gave a small laugh. **

** "****He would find some way to incorporate Loveless." I commented. We arrived back at the table and I took my seat, motioning for Cissnei, Tseng, and Sephiroth to sit down as well. They were all such stiffs.**

** "****Father asked that you hurry up to the balcony. It's almost time for you to sing." Rufus murmured to me and I sighed and nodded. **

** "****Ten gil says she chokes," Genesis said haughtily and I sent him a menacing glare. Angeal punched his shoulder in warning, sending him falling off of his chair. I smirked and high-fived Angeal. I quickly finished off my cake and then hurried up the steps to the balcony overlooking the ballroom, where Shinra, Veld, and Lazard were waiting. **

** "****Four years ago, the war with Wutai began. Upon siege on their capital, we discovered a horrific secret; the Wutain were keeping hostages, children and adults alike. Our people, From Midgar to Junon to even the more remote locations. The only survivor, was Cerise Shyr, the bravest nine year old I had ever met. On this day, she turns fourteen, and has experienced over four years of freedom and safety. She is a hero to everyone, sharing her story and experiences with all of us and aiding in ending the cruelty of Wutai. Though tonight we celebrate her, she is here to give us a gift; the song of a brave victim of war!" He called and the crowd cheered. I had to refrain myself from rolling my eyes; Shinra always did have a flair for the dramatics. **

**I hurried over to his side, and he gave me a side hug, and then left me up there alone, mic in hand. I gulped, watching as all eyes stared me down from below. Minerva, help me. This could not be happening. I wanted to open my mouth and sing, but I couldn't force my voice out. I searched the crowd desperately for a familiar face, my eyes landing on Sephiroth watching from the table with everyone else. He nodded at me-his form of a reassurance-and I nodded back my thanks. **

**I took a deep, steadying breath and began to sing. It was terrifying, to say the least. The first few verses my voice shook horribly, but gradually my voice regained its strength and I was able to successfully get through the entire song without choking or fainting-or both. The crowd of strangers erupted in cheers and I smiled and gave a small curtsey-and then hurried off of the balcony. Though the others probably to congratulate me on not puking everywhere, I needed to get away from the craziness for a while. I hurried through the back doors and out into the pavilion. I leaned against the back wall and took a deep breath. My hands were shaking still from the performance. **

** "****You did well," A familiar voice spoke beside me, making me jump. I squeaked and turned to face Sephiroth, holding a hand over my racing heart. **

** "****You scared me," I complained once I regained my composure. He smiled faintly. **

** "****Sorry," He rumbled and I nodded. **

** "****It's alright, I was already on edge." I admitted. **

** "****Are you alright?" He asked after several long moments of silence. I leaned my head back against the wall, really allowing myself to think about it. Over the years, my guilt had just grown stronger, and these birthday parties only made it worse. Combining my guilt with my utter terror of having to sing in front of thousands of people, I was really starting to get a headache. **

** "****I've been better," I admitted truthfully. "It's just been a long birthday, like every year." I said with a sigh. **

** "****When's the last time you had any mako?" He asked and I eyed him. **

** "****Yesterday morning," I admitted and he tossed me a water bottle full of lifestream. I opened it and chugged half of the bottle, my thirst flaring up.**

** "****I wish it were easier to get you mako," He murmured and I nodded. **

** "****Well if Cissnei found it in my fridge, she'd be forced to tell the president. I have no idea what I'd say then. And it's not exactly easy sneaking any of that diluted stuff from the labs up either. I have to make do." I answered simply. Ever since coming to Midgar, and staying HQ, it'd never exactly been easy getting lifestream to drink. I needed it like everyone else needed water, unfortunately it wasn't as easy to get. Therefore, I was almost always dehydrated. **

** "****I have a mission next week to Wutai, I'll be able to gather more mako from the pond." He promised. I sighed and turned to face him. **

** "****I can't wait a week, i'll die of dehydration. I need at least a couple more bottles to tide me over till then." I said. **

** "****Angeal and Genesis both leave tomorrow to Wutai-"**

** "****You know I can't tell them," I said seriously. He held my gaze. **

** "****There is nothing else I can do, Cerise." He said calmly. My temper flared and I clenched my fists. **

** "****You promised to protect me!" I hissed. **

** "****And I have been," He reminded me calmly, always the level-headed one.**

** "****No! All you do is get me mako and keep my secret, and you can't even get me enough mako to keep me healthy." I retorted. **

** "****I've trained you to protect yourself," He responded, eyes narrowed. **

** "****That's not the same! You're my protector, even if I can put up a good fight, it's not the same." I snapped back. **

** "****What do you want from me, Cerise?" He asked, tone becoming harsher. **

** "****I want you to talk to me!" I yelled before I could stop myself. He regarded me carefully, silently, knowing now he was walking on glass. I rubbed my temples, and sighed. "I'm sorry, I know I'm not being fair to you. It's just, you avoid talking to me. Most time you won't look me in the eye. I've known you longer Genesis and Angeal yet you still talk to them easier than you do me. Why? What did I do to make you hate me?" I asked. **

** "****I don't hate you," He responded lowly. **

** "****Then what?" I asked desperately. **

** "****You're the one who should hate me," He said coldly, freezing me in my tracks. "I see how miserable you are here and it's my fault. I killed the only family you had, destroyed the only home you had ever known. They call me a war hero but I do not feel like one. I have wronged you," He stated calmly. It was then I put myself in Sephiroth's shoes for the first time. **

**My first year here, I'd held a terrible grudge against him. Who wouldn't? It's like he said, he did take my home and family. But, I've never been one to hold a grudge. Especially after all of the terrible things I'd done. I understood what it meant to be in a position where you felt hopeless, without a single way out. To compromise your own morals and values and hate yourself for it. To feel like you've betrayed not only others, but yourself too. When I'd fully learned that feeling, I'd stopped holding a grudge against Sephiroth. **

** "****You are not the only person to have wronged someone in this world, Sephiroth." I said calmly. "I've wronged all of Wutai with my lies. I forgave you three years ago when I learned how it felt to betray people and hate yourself for it. Maybe it's time you forgive yourself," I said and took his hand in mine own. "All I know is, you're the only person I can talk to about any of this. You're not just my protector, you're the only true friend I have, the only person I can confide in. I don't want you to look at me like i'm the embodiment of all of your sins anymore. Please," I whispered. He met my pleading eyes and nodded. **

** "****Alright." He said softly, moving closer and pressing a kiss to my forehead. I dropped his hand and wrapped my arms around his torso, pulling him into a hug. He was much taller than me, but I didn't care at the moment. I needed to feel safe and warm for once. **

** "****Cerise?" Cissnei called and I moved back from Sephiroth just as she turned the corner into view. She approached, giving Sephiroth a quick suspicious scan before turning to me. "Everyone is waiting for you. There's also a man inside waiting to speak to you. Something about a play." She said and I nodded, moving past Sephiroth, but then stopped and looked back at him. **

** "****Thank you, Sephiroth." I said lightly and then followed Cissnei back inside. **

** "****What was that about?" She asked curiously. **

** "****He came to compliment my voice. We talked for a bit." I said nonchalantly. We reinstated the silent 'I don't tell, you don't ask rule' as we walked back to the table. **

** "****There's the birthday girl" the president said jovially and motioned towards a tall, slender man standing next to him. "This is Markus, a producer for a local theater." He introduced. I smiled, moving forward to shake his hand. **

** "****It's nice to meet you, I'm Cerise." I said, despite knowing he already knew my name. He grinned and nodded. **

** "****Pleasure is all mine, Miss Cerise. I wanted to talk to you about playing a very important role in our up and coming play at the theater house next year." He said and I cocked my head to the side. **

** "****What role?" I asked curiously. **

** "****Well the company is putting on LOVELESS, and we've yet to find a beautiful girl with the voice of an angel to play the goddess-until you. You're a little younger than we originally wanted, but your voice is so superb. Please say you'll join us." He said. **

** "****Her answer is yes!" Genesis spoke before I could. His eyes were lit up like a childs on christmas morning and I knew just from that look, I wouldn't be able to turn it down. **

** "****Sorry," I apologized, scowling at Genesis. "He loves that poem. I'd be happy to perform in your play." I said and the man beamed. **

** "****Great! Our first production meeting is in two weeks. Hopefully by then you'll get to meet all of your cast mates and the rest of the team. I look forward to seeing you," **

** "****You too." **


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! I thought I'd post a bit early here since I've been late updating! Anyway, a few things. First, thanks so much for reading! Second, I want to thank everyone who sent me a message regarding the story! Thanks so much for your support, I really appreciate it! Anyway, here is the next chapter, and I hope you enjoy it! Please let me know what you think!**

"What happened? The remnants have set Edge on High alert looking for someone." Tifa asked, the moment I walked into the bar. I shut the door behind me and sighed, walking further into the bar.

"I have a run-in with them," I admitted. Her eyes widened and she was in front of me in an instance.

"Did they find out who you are? Did they follow you? Do we need to run?" She asked quickly, looking me over for any injuries. I shook my head.

"No, I lost them a while ago. I highly doubt they'll find me for the time being, but I might need to lay low for a while. I'm going out as Tempest tonight, give them a different lead to follow and away from us. I won't be back for a while, so don't worry. Just try to make them forget about the encounter," I told her, already moving towards the stairwell. She grabbed my wrist, stopping me.

"What happened? Do they know who you are?" She asked. I bit my lip nervously.

"Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo are all parts of him, his memories, his life force. Even if they aren't him, they are his remnants. I knew that if one of them ever saw my face, without the mask, some deep part of them might recognize me. I wasn't too worried about Kadaj or Loz, but Yazoo is, essentially, the most similar to who he was when I knew him. My thoughts proved correct. I ran into Kadaj at the market, literally. Neither he or Loz recognized me, but Yazoo took one look at me and said my real name. They wanted to take me to see him. So, I ran. I managed to escape. And, here I am." I said with a small shrug.

"Your...real name. I thought your real name was Angel?" She asked. I shook my head.

"Sorry, I lied. My real name is too well known, too recognizable to the public. Besides if you all had known who I was when we first met...you would've killed me or turned me away." I murmured.

"And your real name?" She asked. I let out a long breath of air, meeting her eyes.

"My real name is Cerise Shyr. For a while, I was known as the face against Wutai. But all of that was a lie. I don't have time to explain, I have to leave," I warned her.

"Does Yuffie know?" She asked flatly.

"No. You think I could honestly tell her about who I was? The only person who knows is Barret, we'd had a run in back when I was still that person. He promised to keep my secret. Listen, I'm sorry, I hate who I was, but I really don't have time to explain myself. I may have lost them but they're still in the area. If you still want to know and don't mind me coming back, I'll explain everything." I told her and then hurried up the stairs, taking them two at a time. I ran into my bedroom, throwing open the wardrobe. I grabbed the white mask off of the top shelf and threw it onto the bed. I pulled my simple blue dress over my head and pulled out a white tank top and pair of simple white shorts. I threw them on and a pair of white ankle boots. I ran a hand through my hair, just to get some snarls out, and then pulled on my mask. It was game time.

Tifa walked in the door just as I was about to jump out the window. "Angel, wait! You don't have to go-" I jumped out the window. I raced across the streets, making sure I was quiet and hidden until far enough away. When I was far enough away from the bar to avoid any suspicion for it, I stopped in the middle of an abandoned street. I backed up a bit, and then got a running start, using a bit of graviga to help my jump. I jumped up, feet bouncing off of the brick wall of a store and flew up, flipping and landing on top of the nearest building gracefully.

I stood up straight, looking around. I would need to use some way to get the remnants' attention without being obvious about it. I started running and jumping across buildings, using little bits of graviga in every jump.

"What are you doing, Tempest?" I sighed as she ran beside me, this time appearing as Elys.

"Can't you choose another form?" I mumbled. She was silent and when I looked over, she once again appeared as Aerith. "Not much better," I grumbled, but let it go.

"Stop running, and face what you were always meant to do." She ordered. I glared at her from the corner of my eye.

"You're asking me to kill my only form of family left." I hissed back at her. "You took my mother from me, Aerith, Elys, the only people on Gaia I have ever had some form of bond with. He is the only person left on this planet that I have, and now you want me to kill him. No, I refuse." I spat back angrily.

"It's not as if you have nothing, Cerise," She said quietly, the sympathy leaking out of her voice. "You have Tifa, you two have become good friends. You've made relationships all over the planet you just don't realize it yet. You'll get over his death, and you'll realize that it was the right thing to do," She promised. I shook my head.

"Yes, in a way, I've made friendships. But we both know that I don't belong with them, we've no lasting bonds. They're friends who I will part with eventually, who will forget about me. And that's okay because it's a part of life. But while they'll have each other-their family-what will I have?" I asked, coming to a stop atop a building. She was quiet.

"He is not your family. As difficult as it is, the only family you ever did have died when you were born." She reminded me. I looked over, seeing that her eyes matched my own-bright pink. In a way, I was the human vessel to Minerva, to Gaia, as he was to Jenova. Though we both have our own wills, our own desires and needs, we're plagued by the will of higher beings.

"What would you know about family?" I asked icily. I turned away and continued running. She didn't follow. Eventually I came to the middle of Edge-where the market had taken place. I jumped down off of the roof, landing with a feline-like grace beside some of the trade tents. I kneeled down on the ground and placed my hand against the ground, closing my eyes. I focused on finding any traces of life stream left beneath the earth. My eyes snapped open after several minutes, and I stood, making a wave-like motion with my hand above the ground.

Slowly, life stream was pulled from the ground and I threw my head back as it sank into my skin. It lit my veins and restored all energy I had lost from earlier. "Tempest," A voice growled behind me. I didn't let them see me smirk. I turned around, face emotionless. The remnants stood ten feet away, glaring at me.

"You called?" Kadaj mocked. I rolled my eyes behind the mask.

"Hardly. It's not my fault your mommy dearest can sense whenever I pull the life stream to the surface." I retorted. Though, technically, I had called.

"Then maybe you should stop doing it," Yazoo chimed in, voice bored. I shrugged, and we began to circle each other.

"Perhaps. How else am I to live? You've managed to turn all mako plants into something reminiscent of a prison, the way you have them guarded. Getting mako is a little difficult nowadays." I answered.

"Enough talking." Kadaj snarled and revved his bike. I scowled and moved back, getting ready to run. The other two revved their bikes too, moving forward. I grinned, giving a small salute to the three of them.

"Well, this has been fun, but it's about time I leave." I said, and crouched and jumped, doing a backflip and aiming a summons spell at the ground. Bahamut rose from the ground, giving a loud roar and glaring furiously at the remnants. Kadaj glared menacingly at me and I smiled charmingly and landed behind the dragon. I turned and took off at a run, using both graviga and speed to help me move at a quicker pace.

The sound of a bike revving behind me turned my attention and I spared a look behind me. I cursed. Seems Kadaj had left his brothers to deal with Bahamut while he went after me, figures.

Even with the help of the lifestream, his bike was still faster than I was and he easily caught up too me. He was right beside me, smirking as he reached out to grab hold of me. I barely dodged, and came to an abrupt halt. His bike stopped a couple feet away, managing to make a quick brake. I clenched my fists as we stayed gaze locked.

"Going to do another summon? Or are you actually going to fight this time?" He mocked. My eye twitched at his mockery. Despite him being a remnant of...him, he sounded a lot more like Genesis at this moment. And I acted despite my situation.

"I'm not a physically strong person!" I complained, as If this was something I'd discussed with him many times-which I guess in a way it was. "You don't know how difficult it is, fighting constantly while having the physical strength of a twelve year old boy! I'd never be able to fight you in a fair fight, let alone with your brothers. So, yes, I cheat!" I growled. He seemed momentarily caught off guard by my tantrum, and I kind of was as well. It'd been a long time since I'd acted so childish.

I shook off my old, immature self, and sent a firaga his way, catching him off guard. I sped past him in his moment of surprise, and used a wall as momentum to jump up atop the buildings. I heard his growl of annoyance from below and only stuck my tongue out at him as I continued on. He followed after me on the ground, making sure to keep eyes on me as I moved above.

After what seemed like hours of running, and him managing to keep up, I saw the sun rising in the distance. Time to make my great escape. I stopped running abruptly, dropping to my knees and holding my hands clasped together in front of me. I hated asking her for help.

"Goddess Minerva, lend me your wisdom and power. My vessel is your vessel, my strength your strength, your power my power." I murmured. Radiant light engulfed my body and I gasped. Although we'd done this a few times, it was always so strange, letting another soul take temporary control over your body.

When Minerva took over my body, I no longer simply looked a little like her, I was her. My hair was several shades lighter than Minerva's, part of my time as an infant floating through the lifestream which practically bleached my hair near white, but hers was a golden color and considerably longer in length. I looked less like the young girl I was, and more like, well, a goddess. Taller and more muscular, and I tended to look ageless, instead of in my early twenties.

She jumped down, hovering a few inches above the ground. Kadaj came to an abrupt halt in front of us, eyes widening at our appearance. However his glimpse of our new appearance was short as Minerva's blinding white light engulfed him, and when it dissipated, he was slumped over in a deep slumber.

"Shall I kill him?" She asked, and though it was my own voice, it sounded strange hearing her speak through my mouth.

'No, leave him be. I can take over from here,' I murmured mentally.

"I don't think so, Cerise. I gave you your chance to do things your way, now I will take matters into my own hands." I would've gasped in shock, had I control over my own body. I fought against her hold, pushing her away and out of my mind, but unlike before, it didn't work.

'What...' I thought, voice a bit sluggish, the mental pull having been a bit too much. A sword materialized in her hand as she approached Kadaj. 'Give me back my body, Minerva!' I screamed and she winced physically.

"This is for the greater good." She responded softly.

'Like hell! I won't let you kill him!' I shrieked mentally, pounding against the barriers she'd managed to put up in her short time in my vessel. She sighed.

"I will give you back your body once it is done. It shouldn't take long, losing his remnants will weaken him, and being in this body will take him by surprise. He would never expect you to kill him." She murmured, talking more to herself then to me by the end. She hovered over Kadaj's limp form now, pointing the tip of her sword at his head.

"Stop it, Cerise! This is for the best!" She hissed, pressing her fingertips against the edge of our eyes and pulling back, showing large wet droplets. "He has killed people you love, millions of innocents! He will kill this planet if you don't stop him." She reminded me fiercely.

'I don't care! I won't kill him, I won't! You can't make me!' I screamed, pounding my fists against the mental barriers once more. The sword trembled in her hand as I fought for control and she gasped and used her other hand to attempt to hold it steady. There was a groan beneath us and we looked down. Kadaj's eyes flickered open, and he peered up at us, first drowsy, then in shock, then in realization.

"Kill him!" Minerva shrieked and I jerked back, my body following suit. It stumbled back and fell against the ground, sword clattering out of our hands. I trembled, the two of us fighting for control. Kadaj sat up, meeting our gaze. I couldn't tell which set of eyes he saw-the scared little girl actually fighting for his life-or the strong goddess fighting desperately to end this once and for all. It didn't last long though, as a boot collided with the side of his head, once again knocking him unconscious. Today was just not his day. We looked up with wide-eyes, pink meeting red.

"Angel? What...why do you look like that?" She asked.

"Knock me out, now!" I shrieked, using all of my strength to gain control of my voice. She looked like she wanted to argue, but the desperation must've shown in my eyes because one moment I saw red eyes and then next I saw nothing.

I groaned awake, eyes fluttering open. Light streamed in through the windows, caressing the side of my face. I blinked several times before sitting up, looking around the room. I was back at the bar it seemed. I pushed the covers off of my body, seeing Tifa had helped me change into a blue night gown.

My eyes widened at the memories of last night and I jumped out of bed and ran to the mirror, letting out a breath of relief. I was myself. The amount of relief I felt at that moment could not be fathomed and I collapsed back onto the bed. That was one hell of a mess last night. After several minutes of allowing last nights events to replay in my mind I stood back up and approached the wardrobe.

I changed into a pair of skinny jeans and a pink blouse. I ran my fingers through my hair and pulled on a pair of white flats. This would suffice, I thought, with a shrug. I head downstairs, seeing Tifa was already up and about, serving some regular customers. I stood in front of the bar, greeting a few customers.

"Hey, what can I get you?" I asked, instantly retrieving the drink he wanted. Tifa continued on like this for a few hours, not speaking but just continuing to run the bar like always. When our regular morning drinkers finally left we closed up at noon for lunch. We still didn't speak much, working together to make lunch for ourselves and the kids.

"What happened last night?" She asked after several more minutes of silence. I sighed, rubbing my temples.

"It's a long-"

"Yeah, I know." She interrupted, voice flat. She crossed her arms over her chest, giving me a scrutinizing look. "We've got time," She finished. I sighed once more, thinking about how to tell her as I continued to chop up tomatoes.

"Well, it all ties in with my special abilities. I-it's hard to talk about. But, I do have something. My diary, I wrote in it ever since I learned of what I was and where these...gifts came from. It should explain everything. Can we compromise on that for now?" I asked quietly. She was stern for a minute, until her gaze relaxed and she nodded.

"Alright, I guess that'll do for now. Just, please don't do that again. You scared me last night, running off like that." I nodded and she pulled me into a hug, one that I was grateful for. "I know it's hard, asking for help. But you have us now, and you don't have to do everything by yourself." She promised. I nodded, allowing myself to believe it for a moment.

But I couldn't delude myself for too long, lest I actually start to believe it. I pulled back and smiled reassuringly at her. "I'll go get the diary." I explained and she nodded. I ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time. I ran back into our shared room and kneeled down on the floor. I looked under the bed, grabbing my box of things and opening it up. The simple, pink diary sat atop the other stuff. I smiled down at it softly, and closed up the box, diary in hand. I shoved the box back underneath my bed and stood back up. I rushed back downstairs, feeling a bit cheerful that Tifa wasn't angry with me.

I jumped down on the last step and moved to walk into the bar. "Hey, Tifa, here it-" I cut off abruptly, jaw slackening at the sight in front of me. A thin silver blade was pressed against Tifa's throat and she stared at me with wide, terrified eyes. Denzel and Marlene stood in the corner, Denzel hiding Marlene from...him. A red mark sat across Denzel's cheek, showing that he'd tried to put up some form of a fight. I set the journal down on the bar counter. I returned my gaze to him.

"What are you doing here?" I all but hissed. He didn't speak, instead he seemed far more intent to hold my gaze. He motioned towards my left and I turned to look, unsurprisingly finding his remnants studying the situation, all with different expressions. Loz looked smug, Kadaj looked like he was still pretty ticked about last night, and Yazoo watched me carefully.

"I was content to allow your mischief, but no more. You will come with us, or I will kill them." His voice was so calm, but that wasn't what hurt. No, even in dire situations he had always managed to keep his voice smooth and calm, authoritative. But I could always tell by his eyes, whenever he felt guilt or pain or shame from anything you could see it in his eyes, no matter how well he managed to hide it to everyone else. But here and now, I didn't see that. He was the perfect mask of calm. He really would kill them, without a second thought.

"Denzel, Marlene. Come here." I ordered softly. They seemed hesitant but as no one made a move to stop them, they rushed over to me, huddling behind me. "What are you going to do?" I asked softly. Tears stung my eyes but I refused to let them fall. "Are you going to kill her? It wouldn't surprise me, it wouldn't be the first time you've killed someone I care about right in front of my eyes." I said, barely containing the rage and pain and desperation. Still though, no emotion.

"If that's what it takes." Was his simple response. I motioned towards his remnants.

"Make them leave. I don't want them here." I ordered. Kadaj and Loz both opened their mouths to protest, but he cut them off and motioned for them to leave. Yazoo was the first to leave, Loz following soon after and then Kadaj. "Promise me you won't hurt them. Promise that if I go with you you won't come back and kill them." I continued.

"I have no interest in their pathetic lives. Come with me and I give you my word that they will not be harmed." He promised. I moved away from Denzel and Marlene. Marlene gripped my hand, eyes wide with tears. I smiled, crouching down and placing a kiss against her forward. I ruffled Denzel's hair and then stood back up. I approached him, stopping until I stood directly in front of him. Tifa and my eyes met briefly, and then the sword was moved from her throat and she rushed to the kids. He stared down at me, eyes unreadable. Then, he nodded and turned his back. "Let's go." He ordered smoothly. I sent them one last look and then followed after him.


End file.
